Halifax Remembrance Day ceremony moved from Grand Parade to Sullivan's Pond

The annual Remembrance Day ceremony held at Grand Parade in Halifax will be moved to, and combined with commemorations at Sullivan's Pond in Dartmouth this year, amid the city's housing crisis.

The Nunavut and Nova Scotia Command of the Legion confirmed the change of location to CBC News on Monday.

"If anybody has been to Grand Parade lately, they would see a very sad situation of homeless people that are having a really rough time. And our heart goes out to them and our sympathies go out to those Haligonians that find themselves without a home at this time," said executive director Craig Hood, who speaks for the legion.

"And so with respect to them and respect to the service, we decided to make the Sullivan's Pond event a larger one, also taking into consideration that Somme Branch is celebrating its 95th anniversary this year."

Halifax officials had hoped Grand Parade would be cleared of tents ahead of Remembrance Day. But the site in front of city hall recently became one of six new designated encampement sites in the municipality.

Another major event held at Grand Parade was also moved this month. The annual Nova Scotia Fallen Peace Officers Memorial was moved to RCMP headquarters in the Burnside area of Dartmouth.